Best Sites to Land A Job Abroad
Need a break from the rat-race?
Working abroad has become an ever-growing allure in recent years, particularly for professionals who are burnt out, gap year students or those who may have just finished their studies. The thought of moving to a new country and new surroundings can be an exciting, but an equally daunting prospect.
Isn’t it costly to travel abroad?
Visiting other countries and traveling the world has never been cheaper. Expense is often a deterrent to travel but this should no longer be the case. You can literally travel on a shoestring depending on how adventurous you are – hitchhiking from place to place while working on organic farms to give just one example. For the less adventurous, the slightly more costly bus, train or plane to your chosen destination need not cost the earth. Use Statravel.com or Skyscanner.es to search for flights. Set up alerts, book in advance or last minute to get the best deals.
Many sites offer volunteer and paid employment placements but charge over-inflated prices to join their programme or even just the sites. So, finding and securing a job, having the right qualifications or getting work experience before making the step abroad can be tricky.
To help you we got out heads together, did some research and have compiled a list of the best free or low cost sites that will assist with how to get a job abroad.
1. Prospects
This impressive and completely free website is a mecca for those seeking jobs abroad. It is in-depth and has a lot of useful, informative material.
Featured on its user-friendly website, Prospects.ac.uk is essential information and listings of gap year jobs, work experience and internships, working abroad, careers advice, quizzes to find your ideal career, tips for improving resumes, study abroad options and everything in between.
When you click on to the ‘Working Abroad’ section, the website brings up an extensive list of countries to work in. In each country list is a comprehensive information index for living and working in that chosen country.
It covers everything from visa and immigration requirements to job vacancy listings, volunteer placements and how to explain UK qualifications to foreign employers. This is gold for anyone thinking of working overseas.
2. WWOOFing
WWOOF is a great voluntary work organisation – World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. ‘WWOOFing’ is a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded others and have a great time working abroad.
WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and the opportunity to learn about local cultures, languages, organic farming and lifestyles. The organisation has farms all over the world.
Volunteers (WWOOFers) generally help on the land and home for 4-6 hours a day. The WWOOFing farms attract people from all different countries and often result in long lasting new friendships.
WWOOFing can also look great on your CV, illustrating that you care about the environment and are willing to donate your free time working abroad for a worthy cause…though little do they know that you’ve been having the time of your life!
Work can be varied but might involve tasks such as making compost, gardening, planting, feeding, milking, wine making, cheese making and bread making. WWOOFing visits range from one week up to six months.
You need to be a member to join one of the WWOOFing programmes around the world. For a UK single membership online it costs £20. This is just to cover basic administration and various costs.
There is currently no international membership, which means that you must join the national WWOOF organisation in each country where you want to WWOOF.
3. Help-X
HelpX is an online listing of organic and non-organic farm hosts, homestays, ranches, lodges, backpacker hostels and even sailing boats. Like WWOOF, it is a volunteer organisation and costs just €20 for a two-year premium membership. In return for your help you will receive food and accommodation.
The idea behind HelpX is to provide a cultural exchange for those looking to work abroad whilst travelling; staying with local people and gaining practical experience. Typical work required is two – four hours a day, allowing lots of free time to explore your new surroundings.
They have some really interesting and unique overseas jobs. From working on fishing boats in Cambodia or sailing in Guatemala to a backpacker hostel in Japan, at the time of writing HelpX had some incredible positions overseas.
Again, like WWOOFing, volunteering your time abroad can really boost your appeal for future job prospects. But aside from improving your CV, the experience alone that you will receive from your time working abroad is invaluable.
Many volunteers end up making great friends and connections abroad. They learn skills they never would have imagined attainable from the experience. It is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture.
4. Gumtree
Gumtree operates online in a number of counties around the world. It is a fantastic resource for finding almost anything, but especially random overseas jobs. The best thing about Gumtree is that it’s completely free!
Try ‘www.Gumtree.com/travel-overseas-jobs’ to find the latest opportunities abroad. It covers everything from Au-Pair work to chalet work in the Alps, teaching jobs and everything in between.
Some of the most unique and interesting positions abroad can be found on here and nowhere else. If there’s nothing that instantly catches your eye, keep checking in as it’s updated constantly.
Alternatively, if there is a country you have in mind where you would like to work try their local Gumtree website and click on jobs. E.g. For Australia, check out www.gumtree.com.au.
5. TEFL
This is free listings website for paid English teaching jobs overseas. This is a great resource for those that have a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) or CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) qualification.
This also has job opportunities abroad for those without TEFL training or previous teaching experience for schools that offer their own in-house training programmes. However, a bachelor’s degree is generally a basic requirement.
The job list tends to be extensive; giving good options so be picky about what it is you’re looking for and where you want to go. As well as the job advertisement section, there is also information on where you can attain TEFL qualifications in each country and a cost guide for a long list of cities.
6. Workaway
This is another volunteer website but charges a mere €23 a year for a single membership or €30 for a couple or two friends.
It is a fantastic website for finding every type of work and operates all over the world. It is a great opportunity to gain experience in an area you think you might like to work in.
There are opportunities in some of the most far flung corners of the world doing things that you might otherwise never get to do, let alone never have imagined yourself doing in exchange for free accommodation and food. In some cases they will pay a small basic salary to go towards essential daily costs.
7. Explorers Connect
For those of you with adventurous inclinations, this is a great free listings website that features exciting jobs overseas and in the UK.
It focuses largely on adventure and travel industry jobs, with some unique overseas opportunities. It is definitely worth keeping a close eye on the regularly updated jobs listing page to find your dream job abroad.
Explorers Connect is essentially an online community made up of a large group of people who thrive on adventure and constantly seek the next big expedition.
There are many overseas job sites out there; we’ve just handpicked a few of our favourites to help you along. From these you can then make a plan as to what you need to land a job abroad. You might need some more qualifications or you might be able to study a distance learning course while you’re abroad to get up to speed. Hopefully this will help guide you in the right direction when you’re looking at how to get a job abroad.
Word to the wise
Whatever overseas job you decided to go for, make sure you are happy with what they’re offering. If you have any doubts about a potential employer’s legitimacy then listen to your instincts and find something else.
When you do find the position you’ve been looking for, embrace it and make the most of your time in your new country of choice. Take lessons in the local language, sample the food and explore your new surroundings.
If you go with a positive mindset you will have one of the best experiences of your life and make memories never to forget!